Gertrude Torkornoo, the former Chief Justice, has run to court, filing a legal challenge to halt the vetting and appointment of Justice Baffoe-Bonnie as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
The former Chief Justice, in her suit filed at the High Court, seeks to nullify all actions taken by the Justice Gabriel Scott Pwamang Committee, which was established to investigate petitions leading to her removal.
Gertrude Torkornoo is asking the court to declare the committee’s proceedings invalid and to nullify the Presidential Warrant that affected her removal from office.
According to a report, her application was filed through her lawyer, Kwabena Adu-Kusi, on Thursday, October 16, 2025, submitted two reports to support her legal challenge.
One of the reports from a committee chaired by Justice Dr Owusu-Dapaa, and the other from the National Signals Bureau.
In both reports, Francis Baiden was identified as a Judicial Service staff member in charge of the e-Justice system, as the prime suspect in the tampering of judicial documents.
She argued that it is illogical to remove her from office for transferring Biden after evidence showed he was involved in tampering with documents in the Gyakye Quayson case.
Torkornoo, in her suit, also points out that Justice Baffoe-Bonnie transferred judges when he became Acting Chief Justice, which she claimed was unfair that her transfer decision is being treated as a removable offence while similar actions by Baffoe-Bonnie were not questioned.
Her legal action comes at the time the Parliamentary Appointments Committee is set to vet Justice Baffoe-Bonnie to become the next Chief Justice.
President John Mahama named His Lordship Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie as the new Chief Justice of Ghana.
The announcement was made on Tuesday, September 23, by the Minister of Government Communication, Felix Kwakye Ofosu.
Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie was appointed to the Supreme Court in June 2008 by then-President John Agyekum Kufuor and is among the most senior justices of the apex court.
Justice Baffoe-Bonnie is now expected to be vetted as Chief Justice by parliament before his swearing-in as Ghana’s next Chief Justice.
His appointment follows. President John Mahama sacking the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, from office with immediate effect after he received a first report from the five-member committee he constituted to investigate three petitions brought against the Chief Justice.
Hours after President Mahama received the committee reports, Chief Justice Torkornoo was sacked with immediate effect.
A statement from the presidency stated, “President John Dramani Mahama has, in accordance with Article 146(9) of the 1992 Constitution, removed the Chief Justice, Her Ladyship Justice Gertrude Araba Esaaba Sackey Torkornoo, from office with immediate effect”.
“This follows receipt of the report of the Committee constituted under Article 146(6) to inquire into a petition submitted by a Ghanaian citizen, Mr. Daniel Ofori. After considering the petition and the evidence, the Committee found that the grounds of stated misbehaviour under Article 146(1) had been established and recommended her removal from office.
“Under Article 146(9), the President is required to act in accordance with the Committee’s recommendation,” the statement concluded.
